Thread holder and tensioner j



s. .A. NELSON 1,766,332

AND TENSIONER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS June 24, 1930.

THREAD HOLDER Filed Dec. 14, 1928 lrvemar 60/221/6/ H IVs/9m W fltzame Patented June 24, 1930 SAMUEL A. NELSON, OF \VGRCESTEE, T'IASSAGHUSETTS,

a'rnr FECE Assrsnon- 'ro onomr'ron s6 KNOWLES LOOM 'WOILKS, OF WORCESTER, IVIA SQACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS THREAD HOLDER AND TENSIONER FOE WEFT-REPIiENISIIII'JG LOOMS Application filed December 14, 1828. Serial No. 326,137.

This invention relates to improvementsin weft end holding and tensioning devices for weft replenishing loems and it is the general object of the invention to provide a device of this type which will take up a considerable amount of yarn while moving through a comparatively small distance.

In the usual multicolor weft replenishing mechanism there are arranged a plurality of parallel vertical stacks of reserve bobbins from each of which extends a weft end. It is necessary to have the ends anchored to some relatively fixed point so that on the first pick following transfer the yarn may be drawn from the bobbin to effect partial threading of the shuttle and also continue the weaving operation. The bobbins move down compartments from the top of the magazine toward transfer position and in so doing a certain amount of slack is developed in the end of filling extending toward the thread holder. This slack should be taken up to prevent the weft end from being entangled with the lay. It is also found, in some instances at least, that the bobbins rotate on their axes as they await transfer and when this rotation is in a direction to unwind the filling there is an ad ditional amount of weft which must be removed from the path of the lay.

It an important object of my present invention to provide a combined weight and clamp wherein the clamp adds its weight to that of the tensioning device. It is a further object of my present inventionto require the weft end to extend around a fixed surface and to be operatively related to both the tensioning element and clamp and to require the clamp to move yieldingly with the tensioning element so that both of these devices act to take up slacl" in the weft ends.

lVith these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown a convenient embodiment of my invention- Fig. 1 is a rear elevationof a weft replenishing mechanism made according to my present invention;

. Fig. 2 is a top plan view taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1 certain parts he in section for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sideelevation taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4. is-a fra mentary enlarged rear elevation looking in the direction of arrow l, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary section taken horizontally on line 55- of Fig. 3, and y 2 Figs. (3 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing the manner of operation of my improved thread clamp and tensioning device.

Referring to the drawings, 1 have shown a magazine frame M in which may be arranged a plurality of stacks of bobbins B. As set forth herein provision is made for three stacks of bobins, although I do not wish to be limited toxthis number. The magazine may. have vertical slots 10 and 11 located respectively in the front and rear portions of the magazine to receive weft ends W. The magazine shown herein is merely illustrative and any one of several designs of magazines of this general type may be employed and my invention is not related to the magazine itself.

Secured to the magazine and projecting laterally therefrom is a bracket 20 which as shown in Fig. 2 may have an offset end 21 from which depends a guide 22. Said guide is provided with a plurality of bores 23 which extend vertically. The guide is provided with a vertical slot 24 for each of the bores. i

i In each bore there is located a cylindrical weighted element 25 to the upper endof which is secured a hook 26. Projecting laterally from and operatively connected to each weight is clamping member 27 which as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be made of a primary element 28 riveted into the correspondingweight 25. A relatively movable element 29 is guided with respect to the main member 28 by pins 30 which extend.

through both members 28 and 29. Lying between said pins is a coil spring 31 which as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 5 will act to hold the adjacent faces of the elements 28 and 29 closely together. The outer ends of said members may be beveled in opposite directions to provide a notch 32 into which weft ends may extend.

It is to be understood that each weight 25 is secured to and moves with its corresponding clamping member and that the latter moves through the corresponding slot 24 so that the plane of the hook 26 remains substantially constant during the vertical movement thereof.

By referring to Figs. 6 and 7 the manner of operation of my present invention will be apparent. hen a new set of bobbins is being placed in the magazine the weaver will elevate the weight 25 corresponding to the stack being replenished, this operation being facilitated by the clamping member which offers a finger hold by means of which the weight may be raised. hen the weight and hook are in the position shown in Fig. 6 the weft ends may be passed under the hook and over the top surfaces l0 and 50 which lie, respectively, to the right and left of the bore 23 as viewed in Fig. 6. The weft end may then be pushed into the notch 32, the spring 31 permitting a slight separation of the elements 28 and 29 for this purpose. The weight may then be released, whereupon it will descend to tension the weft ends cooperating therewith.

As successive transfers take place during the operation of the magazine the bobbins will descend and as they do so the weft ends will tend to slacken. his tendency, however, is overcome by the freely movable weights and after each transfer there will be a downward movement on the part of the weight corresponding to the stack from which transfer took place. The weft ends will extend over the surfaces 40 and 50 as shown in Fig. 7 and will also project downwardly to the clamp. It will be noted that inasmuch as the clamp moves together with the weight the amount of slack taken up in the weft ends will be approximately three times the movement of the weight and it is by reason of this fact that I am enabled to take up a considerable amount of Weft slackness with a relatively small motion on the part of the tensioning weights.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a combined clamping and tensioning device which operates to take up slack, the motion of the device being comparatively small although the slack taken up in the weft ends is relatively large. It will. further be seen that by requiring the weft ends to pass over a relatively fixed surface and acting on the weft end by the clamp and weighted member I compensate for an amount of slack which is approximately three times the motion of the device. It will also be seen that I make use of a clamp to tension the weft ends. It will be noted that the slack taking up action of my pres ent invention is due to the fact that the weighted element which is guided in the fixed stand has its mass displaced bodily so that its center of gravity changes as slack develops in the weft ends, thereby causing a motion of translation on the part of the weighted element and causing the degree of take-up to be a multiple of the distance through which the weighted mass or its center of gravity moves.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins, from which extend weft ends, a relatively fixed guide, a weighted member having a movement of displacement with respect to the guide to take up slack of the weft ends of the reserve bobbins, and a clamp moving with the weighted member, the thread being operatively related to the weighted member and clamp and extending over a portion of the fixed guide between the clamp and weight.

2. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a relatively fixed frame having a surface over which the weft ends of the reserve bobbins may extend, a weighted element movable in the frame and having provision for engaging a weft end, and a thread clamp secured to the element and moving therewith, said clamp and weighted element normally being on the same side of the aforesaid surface and the weft end extending over the surface and being held by the clamp and having sliding operative engagement with the element. F

3. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a movable slack taking up element to have operative sliding en gagement with the weft, a clamp moving with the element and attached to a weft end, and relatively fixed means to require the weighted element and clamp to take up an amount of slack approximately three times the length of movement of the weight of the element.

45. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a relatively fixed frame having a substantially vertical bore therein, a weighted slack taking-up element movable in the bore, a thread clamp secured to the weighted element, the weft ends having sliding engagement with the weighted element and a portion of the fixed frame adjacent the upper end of the bore and bein attached to the clamp.

5. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a pair of devices to have engagement with and each movable to take up slack in the same weft end, at least one of said devices having holding engagement with the weft end, and a fixed device between said elements over which the weft end extends.

6. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins'from which extend weft ends, a pair of devices to have engagement with and each movable to take up slack in the same weft end, at least one of said devices having holding engagement with the weft end, and a fixed device between said elements over whi h the weft end extends and slides as the elements move to take up slack.

7. In a thread holder and tensioning de vice for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a pair of yielding elements each capable of displacement to take up slack in the same weft end, one of which is directly connected to the weft end and the other of which has sliding contact with the weft ends, and a fixed device bet-ween said elements to cause both of said elements to take up slack in the weft ends. 7

8. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a slack taking-up element capable of linear displacement, a weft end clamping element moving therewith, and means defining a fixed surface between said elements over which the weft ends extend.

9. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, an element the center of gravity of which is movable to take up slack in a weft end, a weft end clamping element moving therewith, and means defining a fixed surface between said elements over which the weft ends extend, the weft having sliding engagement with both the slack taking-up element and the fixed surface.

10. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a clamping element, a slack taking-up element, a fixed member between said elements, the weft ends having sliding engagement with the slack takingnp element and fixed member and being attached directly to the clamping element, and means other than the weft to cause the clamping element and slack taking-up element to move together.

11. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a gravity actuated slack taking-up element, a clamping element moving therewith, and a fixed guide frame for said element having a portion extending between the elements and over which weft ends extend, the weft ends having operative engagement with the weighted element and being secured directly to the clamping element.

12. In a thread holder and tensioning device for a weft replenishing mechanism having a supply of reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a fixed member, a movable device, said member and device,both to have operative engagement with a weft end, and means to cause the device to take up an amount of slack in the weft end equal substantially to three times the length of movement of said device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

SAMUEL A. NELSON. 

